Drivers are set to face even higher premiums in the coming months as insurance sector bodies continue to quibble over the cause of the increases. Figures from the CSO last week showed premiums have ballooned by 24.4% in the past year.

The head of the Injuries Board has called on insurance companies to explain double-digit increases in premiums in the wake of figures which show that the number of personal injury claims litigated in court fell last year.